The Smiley Face Killers

"Two former New York City detectives are sure they're tracking not one murderer, but a gang of serial killers who have joined together" and are working in the midwest.  These police have discovered at least 40 drownings of good looking college-age men, often labeled as suicides or drunken guys passing out in the water.  But in 12 cases, there has been a smiley face drawn near the crime scenes.  We're talking New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc.

I find this highly unlikely, but of course the media laps this kind of thing right up.

STATEMENT FROM SPECIAL AGENT RICHARD KOLKO, WITH THE FBI HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON DC:

Over the past several years, law enforcement and the FBI have received information about young, college-aged men who were found deceased in rivers in the Midwest.  The FBI has reviewed the information about the victims provided by two retired police detectives and interviewed an individual who provided information to the detectives.  To date, we have not developed any evidence to support links between these tragic deaths or any evidence substantiating the theory that these deaths are the work of a serial killer or killers.  The vast majority of these instances appear to be alcohol-related drownings.  The FBI will continue to work with the local police in the affected areas to provide support as requested.